No matter how you say it--Louisville, KY, is the host city for the 2005 American Football Coaches Association Convention, January 9-12 at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Louisville has great meeting facilities, a myriad of exceptional restaurants, and a warm welcome for the AFCA.

It's still too early to make your hotel arrangements now, so be patient. In August, every AFCA member will receive a convention packet with more information and a housing form. It will advise him how to choose your hotel accommodations from several hotels, with rates to suit every budget.

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The meetings will serve as the culmination of the football season for the more than 5,000 coaches who are expected to attend. The convention will feature a three-day coaching clinic and several other functions, including the ADT Awards Luncheon and the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner. The first morning of the coaching clinic (Monday) will be devoted to presentations by high school and junior college coaches.

The speaker schedule for the 2005 convention is still in the planning stages, but if past history is any indication, those in attendance will be treated to another outstanding group of clinicians.

Also sharing coaching secrets last year were the offensive staffs from Texas Tech and Minnesota, the defensive staffs of Ohio State and Florida State, and the special teams' staffs from Miami (Ohio) and Utah. The AFCA Professional Development Series offered seminars in crisis management, leadership, sports nutrition, and drug-use prevention. Close to 200 companies displayed athletics-related products.

The only requirement to attend the convention is AFCA membership. The membership fee for high school, junior college, college and professional coaches is $40. Unlike most clinics, there is no convention registration fee.

"We always encourage coaches in the immediate area of the convention and from surrounding states to attend," said AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff. "They will have an opportunity to hear some of the best football coaches in America, improve their knowledge of the game and make contacts they couldn't get anywhere else."

The popular Buzz Sessions will return with an expanded list of speakers.

For continuing convention updates, keep reading The Extra Point or log on to www.afca.com.